But with Silversides and Graybar prowling the sewers, just how long can their independence last?Ī prequel to Avi's award-winning ' Poppy ,' this is the story of Ragweed, the mouse Poppy loved and lost. Together the mice transform an abandoned bookstore into a cool new club, the Cafe Independent, and plan a blowout-and cat-free-opening night.

In so doing, Ragweed learns to trust himself and take charge of his destiny. Through these friends, he discovers a world where courage and loyalty are the keys to survival. Ragweed befriends hipster band members Clutch, Dipstick and Lugnut as well as Blinker, a timid and vulnerable pet-store mouse. Silversides and club vice president Graybar, stalks her prey relentlessly. Founder and president of F.E.A.R.(Felines Enraged About Rodents), an organization dedicated to keeping cats on top, people in the middle, and mice on the bottom. Long before Ragweed finds his way to Dimwood Forest and to Poppy, he leaves his family and serene country home behind and sets off by train for the big city, a place fraught with cars, buses, music, pleasure, excitement, attitude and danger-chiefly in the form of cats! Silversides, for instance, is an urbane specimen in a pink polyvinyl collar studded with diamond-like sequins. As for that annoying raccoon, he keeps getting in the way.A prequel to Avi's award-winning ' Poppy ,' this is the story of Ragweed, the mouse Poppy loved and lost. The story of Ragweed comes to Poppy's aid, and how Poppy comes to his, is how their rousing and fateful friendship begins. When he asks the mouse’s name, she replies, “Poppy.” Following the sound of the voice, he finds a cage with a deer mouse trapped inside. Ragweed is now ready to strike off on his own, but it’s not long before he hears a cry for help. Though Ragweed doesn’t really want to help the raccoon, by doing so he winds up in Dimwood Forest.

On his journey, he meets Lotar, a young and bothersome raccoon who has lost his mother. How did Ragweed and Poppy meet and become friends? This book tells their hilarious story! Adventurous golden mouse Ragweed is on a freight train leaving the city of Amperville. Ragweed and Poppy is one of the '10 Top Middle-Grade Summer Reads,' according to Kirkus Reviews! The first new book about Poppy in more than ten years, from Newbery Medal-winning author Avi with illustrations throughout by Caldecott Medal-winning artist Brian Floca.

Ragweed avi